Tag Archives: hip hop

Rapper, entertainer, comedian and motorcycle enthusiast LucioPro recently stopped by Baby Lion‘s Rappers Playing Games (RPG), hosted by Protextor, to play some Ninja Gaiden II and speak on a random set of topics, including his interest. The pair blaze through the first few levels of the game, talk about the differences between rich time-off and poor time-off, speak on LucioPro‘s releases (NerdCore and otherwise), and genuinely share moments of inspiration. (RPG) is always a blast to watch, and LucioPro continues the lineage of interesting guests, so if you’re digging the series like I am, be sure to like, comment and share this video (and any other Baby Lion content you might like).

After a couple of low key releases the past couple of years, it’s nice to be doing things properly for 2019 once again. In the wake of Lo Phi and myself collaborating on Uncanny Valley, I felt it was only proper that the album be given at least one music video to accompany it. Enter mad genius Jeffrey Garcia, who got with me over the holidays (as well as his band of collaborators you can find in the projects at his Jeffy’s Playhouse YouTube channel) and created a visual blitz to match the sonic assault to the senses that is Crying Freeman. I’m very happy with the quality of the video and the initial reception, and I’m hoping that the rest of you are impressed by the work that Jeffrey Garcia put in for this one. If you dig it, share it around, leave it a like and a comment, and go check out the entire album on Bandcamp (and all other music services beginning roughly around January 15).

It feels like I say this most every post I make about Kydd Jones, but it really only seems like a matter of time before he starts making noise on the next level. As 2018 was wrapping up and people were focusing on 2019, Kydd kept his track record of consistent, quality output going with a final single in the form of Ducked Off. The beat itself, produced by Kydd, is sick as hell, and Kydd drops bars oozing with swagger on top of it, creating an ominous sound that has only previously been hinted at in his music. With each release, Kydd is sounding more and more like the seasoned veteran that he has shaped in to. Cop this one, preferably with a donation, and spread it around so that it gets all the play it deserves.

San Antonio rap representative Chris Conde has something he can truly be proud of in his debut release, Growing up Gay. The project not only features forward-moving thought provoking production (courtesy of Chris Conde, Fire-Toolz, Ryan Joseph Galvan, Venetian Snares, Ledef and Casey Keyworth), but lots of forward-thinking in general in terms of topic matter and the way it is handled. Chris Conde has a fascinating ability to embody the entire spirit of MC’ng in the form of bold statements and wordplay while simultaneously handling what many of the uncultured masses would consider a taboo subject in hip-hop : being gay. Chris Conde addresses it head on without making it the topic that drives his entire subject matter, which provides a perfect situation for him to flex in a familiar way while standing out from the crowd. I could go on and on, but it’s best to dive headlong into this project and let Chris Conde show you the way.

Evolve has always got something dope up his sleeve, and this time, it’s a crew dubbed Three Headed Dragon, comprised of himself, Mic Melt and Palm Leaf Skylines. For Movement(a banger produced by John Henry), the crew perfectly encapsulates the essence of the AWOL ONE cover art for their upcoming release Stand Alone Different : Evolve hits folks with stab after lyrical stab, Mic Melt assaults listeners verbally with high energy and powerful bars, and Palm Leaf Skylines delivers the lyrical version of sweet science by taking the verse apart piece by piece in a calculated manner. If this lead single is any indication of the project as a whole, I can’t wait for it to drop. In the mean time, support this single by purchasing it and sharing it around so folks can get hip.

Lo Phi and I have been working on this one for a hot minute… after some final touches, finalizing of the track list, and a little love from IQ at FrownLand Records, we are proud to finally release Uncanny Valley. This project is a celebration of distorted sounds and distorted thinking coming together to create harmonic resonance… Lo Phi kicks things into the red as he leaves his heart inside the beat machine, while I dug deep into all that’s been going on in my life the last few years to mine it for all of the wisdom, knowledge and wordplay that I could. The album is now available to stream and download on Bandcamp, and will arrive everywhere else by mid-January. Share it around, download it, and leave a few bucks if you can, but most importantly, enjoy!

Over the course of the past year, the homie poolboi blu has been cooking up tons of production, releasing beats, mixes and collaborations steadily from month to month. All of this appears to have been foundation building in preparation for the release of ANTSY, his latest solo project. A handful of these tracks have seen the light of day over the summer, but hearing them as a collective works extremely well. Add to this the fact that poolboi blu is becoming a bit more of a vocalist, and it makes ANTSY a perfect closure for 2018 and an indicator of where things are going for beyond. Don’t sleep on this project, seriously.